Unkindled: Duty of Cinders
by VeryAmazingSoldier
Summary: May the flames guide your way
1. chapter 1

"So this is the fifth floor huh"

Bell Cranel, a young boy who had just started becoming an adventurer after two weeks from now, seeks to find a cute girl to meet as he venture down deeper into the dungeon. Even if Miss Eina said that adventurers shouldn't go on adventures, which means you cannot go deeper until you are strong enough. To him, he heard enough stories about the dangers in the dungeon, the tales he heard from other adventurers, and furthermore the books he read back when he is young.

He was once a farmboy away from the city of Orario, until his adopted grandfather got attacked by a monster on a valley, sadly help wasn't made in time once they found out he was killed.

But still with his grandfather now gone, he must fulfill his own wish and his grandfather's: to meet a cute girl in a dungeon and become a hero.

Unfortunately no one accepted him since he's just a farmboy to everyone, not an adventurer. ran away from the busy streets and knelt down in defeat and sorrow. About to give up until someone appeared in front of him. A small child with beautiful raven black twintailed hair supported by two lovely flower like blue ribbons, dark crystal blue eyes, and... very proportioned breasts...

But away from the impure thoughts because right now, he is in sorrow and never knew someone would come to him that way. He figured that if a girls breasts are large, then they are deemed as an adult. He learned this from his grandfather and now accurately assuming that she is a child-adult, with a body of a child but the fleshy watermelons of an adult. Relieved that his confusing assumption was taken away after the small girl in front of him said that she's actually a godess who was sent down to the human world to aid adventurers and give their blessing to kill monsters in the dungeon, just like the rest of the other gods and goddesses. In reality however; she's the only goddess who doesnt have a familia yet until now with her encounter with a poor farmboy seeking to become an adventurer.

She extended her arm at him to help him up and politely asked him to join her familia.

After two weeks, he found that the monsters he's facing from first to fourth were already a piece of cake to him. sure he may have a few decent supplies left to survive but he continued down anyway for the sake of earning money for his goddess. Going back to the present:

Walking around the fifth floor, he is cautious with the ambush attacks of monsters lying around waiting for the perfect opportunity. with his knife at hand, given by the guild which is actually pretty hefty enough to give decent damage against monsters, although because this was given by the guild, it was rented and only of temporary use.

Now in the area where the room consists of multiple selection of narrow entryways. Each entry has their own different placement of monster ambushes and encounters, but they all lead to the next floor anyway. Coming out in one of the entries are a group of goblins in three, the first goblin in the group strike head in first with its crude bat. Luckily, Bell was quick enough to respond this and took a quick backstep away from the range of the striking goblin and as soon as the goblins bat hit the ground, Bell took the opportunity and brought his knife to slice the goblins torso. Because he's in the fifth floor and every floor going down the monsters become stronger, tougher, and more resistant so he had to slice the goblin again with its blade facing to its cheek and the goblin now instantly turned to dust.

the second goblin used its claws to scratch Bell followed up by the third goblin on the other side, also using its claws to scratch Bell. He backstepped once again away from the two remaining goblins. Thanks to his fast movement, he's able to step quickly next to the second goblin and dug his knife into its back, the second goblin now has been disintegrated into dust.

the third and final goblin managed to take a hit on Bell. Fortunately the damage wasn't critical so a sip of a health potion would make him fine and going again. He fought back and killed the final goblin the same way he did with the first, slicing its torso then its cheek, but instead did a kick to the stomach first to stun before performing the same attack. Bell wiped off the sweat from his forehead with the back of his free hand, despite from getting hurt, he still smiles because not only he made great support for his goddess by killing monster in the fifth floor but he also managed to survive as a level one. He's starting to think that fifth floor would just be like the rest of the other 4 floors.

Then an ominous sound was heard from one of the dark entries, it sounded like someone had cast a foreign spell that only some mages know of. Bell followed the sound and stopped. He standby in front of the entry where the ominous sound was once heard. After a few seconds passed, Bell tiled his head in confusion as soon as he heard faint footsteps in the blind dark distance. The footsteps become louder and faster, as if someone is-

"GAHK!"

Tackled down by force, Bell quickly got up to confront an unknown stranger but not quick enough to avoid a kick strong enough to have Bell let go of the knife and have him stay on the ground. Bell flipped over his torso to the ground to desperately crawl for the knife, as he crawled however; the stranger walked ahead over Bells weak condition then kicked the knife even further away from him. Bell takes a last good four second look at the stranger's appearance. They seem to be wearing an old style iron armor he saw in trading stores everywhere, their helmet covered its whole face but its eyes so they can see, although for the poor young boy he couldn't see their eyes because the eyeholes of their helmet is too horizontally small.

The tall knight-like stranger picked Bell up by the collar and threw him against hard rock wall. The stranger then picked Bell up again by the collar again but did it with both of their hands, forcing him to stand up. As Bell coughed from the actions made by the stranger, They unsheathed an iron straight sword, raising its sword overhead and diagonally went down cutting through flesh deep of the poor young boys chest, spreading blood across the area of the blood spray, and then another across the slashed wound, marking a horrible bleeding X mark on his chest

 _is this it?_

The stranger then forcefully pushed the boy down on the ground. Bell now coughing blood as he desperately support himself with two open hands and barely sturdy arms to keep himself up somehow, unfortunately this made it worse. The stranger two handed the straight sword and tapped the blade onto Bells nape two times. Making sure it will be a clean slice. The stranger then raised its sword up and Bell looked at them for the last time as tears endlessly flowing down, knowing his life will be taken away by this killer.

He shut his eyes...

 **SLICE**

The sword went down and all thats left now is a lifeless beheaded corpse lying around the fifth floor. The stranger was nowhere to be found.

 **CLANG**

 **CLANG**

 **CLANG**


	2. chapter 2

Black...

Black was the only thing he is seeing right now.

 _Where am I?_

Not knowing whats happening but knew what happened. He can't feel his body, nor he can't breathe.

 _Am I really.. dead?_

All hope is lost, sadness couldn't partake in this situation due to his numb confusion. Witnessed his very own death and his life taken away by someone else. Yes, he heard stories of strong warriors falling against stronger monsters, but this is different.

Now coming to the point where he's about to accept it, accept that this is his fate. He's only been an adventurer for two weeks and his life finally swept away.

 _Goodbye Miss Eina_

 _Goodbye_ _Goddess_

 _And I'm sorry grandfather._

He now let silence took over and become stone idle. However, his time of sorrowful acceptance and idle silence had come to an end with a-

 **CLANG**

 **CLANG**

 **CLANG**

Its loud. He could hear it outside. but how? He's dead, but how could he still hear that loud noise and just now felt warm but mostly cold around his body. Speaking of his body, why does everything feel like he's lying down on a pile of sand?

Without getting shocked or suprised, he gently opened his eyes. The first thing he saw in front of him was clear gray. He managed to make action of his right so he could grab on the side of whatever he's lying down inside, supporting him to slowly get up as ashes rain out of his body. He looked down for a moment to see what is he lying down in to see that it's actually a stone coffin, so he really did die for real, but how did he come back to life after a murder event? He was supposed to be free and spend a lifetime in heaven, but somehow ended up here. Looking left and right, tombstones were too close to each other, dead grass still sprouting about, and the environment looked as pale as a very sick man.

 **Cemetery of Ash**

to his suprise, the knife he had from the guild was still with him all along so he better get ready for anything bad might happen as he dusts off the remaining ashes scattered around his favorite brown jacket.

He set his eyes on a very sickly person in dark blue ragged robes just standing by the big pond of water. Bell approach the sickly person to see if their alright.

"Are you okay?"

The sickly person quickly turned to Bells direction and starts aggressively swinging their broken rusted sword. Bell quickly back away from the mad person, such enough distance between Bell and the sickly person in robes made them charge at Bell, ready to stick their broken sword into him. The moment when they charged Bell, he saw their face, famished face, dried wrinkles, teeth that are on the verge of falling apart. One detail he noticed on the face was their black hollow eyes, black enough that he couldn't tell whether they dont have eyes at all or they're just really black. Bell had to act, he raised his knife, blade side facing the aggressive sick person. It instantly died after one swift of a knife, and as the body drop down, a sound of its poor soul being automatically consumed by Bell along with the splash of water.

Bell had to process what just happened, he finally presumes the "person" as a monster and guessing there are more around like them.

An another one was lying down next to the dead knight, Bell already knew that it's not a person but a monster, his instincts as an adventurer took upon and the bizarre looking zombie has been fallen. After performing said action, Bell found something glowing at the back of the dead knight lying by a cauldron of sorts. After picking it up, it felt cold and the liquid inside it was radiantly glowing blue and smells of ash, he takes it with him just in case.

As Bell keep moving on, he had found yet an another zombie, except that its armed with a crossbow. Bell used the right stone arch after the stairs for cover. Luckily, the crossbow wielding zombie only stands there continuously firing and reloading its crossbow instead of going around it. Bell took the opportunity to strike as the zombie reloads and its poor soul consumed into his body just like the others.

Out of the first area graveyard, his perspective changed upon seeing the outside. Figured that he's on top of a mountain this high, but there was no time for sightseeing so he moved on.

after going up the slope, he found some odd looking sword stuck to a pile of ashes and brittling bones and hints of heat exposure. Bell gave it a good look at it until something phased through him, a white transparent spirit that looks like a knight went up to the odd looking sword and reaches their hand to the tail of the handle, then after doing so, the spirit disappeared.

Bell went to the sword and tried doing what the spirit did and it suddenly lit into flames, Bell finds this really warm despite being in a really cold place so he sat beside the burning bonfire and the mess around himself started to fade away, his leftover ashes and the blood he spilled when taking care of the peculiar zombies. It's also a bit surprising that the fire can last this long and burn this strong since he's up high the mountain or maybe beneath the skies limit.

After resting, Bell has yet again encountered one of the zombies he faced earlier but instead of wielding broken halved swords, they're now using iron straight swords, although they still attack aimlessly so it shouldn't be that much of a problem. He swift past the first zombie after thrusting its sword supposedly towards him and ended up being backstabbed. Bell looked down on his right and finds two zombies sleeping beside each other, he wouldn't want to disturb them as it would create more trouble so he needed to find a safer way past them. Fortunately, Bell found a ledge not very deep and not very short normal drop, he could try to go and jump for the big coffin for added support, and so he did.

Bell looking where to go now and finds yet an another ledge but a zombie sitting by the bottom of it. Bell took this opportunity by jumping down onto the zombie, two handing his knife and pointing the tip down to it and died with the knife on its back and another soul consumed. Bell finds yet an another crossbow zombie and did what he did before to the first crossbow zombie, strike as it reload.

walking past the deceased zombie, Bell enters somewhat the central of the cemetery filled with puddles of water and ruined concrete, tombstones placed in like a curve and a slightly opened giant coffin entangled by the many roots of a giant dead tree. At the middle of the central was a large stone like statue with a long pole like axe right next to it. Bell went down the stairs to the central and observe the statue, he noticed not only does its Presence and the way it pose seem suspicious but there's something on its back and it appears to be some black creature growing inside of it, he can easily tell by the tentacles developing the center of its spinal cord.

Bell went back to the front of the figure and continued observing the statue and noticed the sword jabbed into its belly. Bell figured to pull it out from the statue, so he grabbed onto the handle with both of his hands and started pulling, as he pulls out the sword with everything he got, blood spills out of the statue.

The sword got out of the statue.

Bell then walked away from the statue towards to the door on the other side as he gave it an inspection of the weapon and it doesn't really look like much of a sword, it is but the side blade looked coiled, not sharp, although the tip of it is the only part of the blade that is sharp. The weapon looked similar to the one he lit before though.

Clunky noises of armor were heard.

Bell looked back to see and find out the source of the sound.

It wasn't a statue at all...

The figure Bell thought was a statue stood up and picked up the long pole from the ground and came out to be a large glaive with engravings a true warrior should have. It turned around and set its eyes on Bell, the figure leapt to the boy with the point of the glaive pointing down at him to give him a good impale. Bell reacted by rolling away from its lethal jump attack. Bell quickly got up, raised his knife with the blade side facing his armored opponent and readied himself up for a critical battle.

Bell charged at the large being in armor and started to jumping into consecutive slashes and deep cuts as the being walked around side by side while its front side locked onto the boy, fortunately, the armor of the large being seem to be quiet soft for the blade of his knife, he found this out after slicing slicing in his first cut on its metal padded thighs and it spurs out blood for the slightest brief moment and stopped, but that doesn't mean the fight got easier, the being's combos of attacks kept Bell distracted from attacking to dodge them for the sake of staying alive. Few of its attacks are delayed so the being could execute a tackle as it's goal was to make its opponent unconcious after a few rounds of powerful tackles and then kill him after, Bell was barely fast enough to dodge and avoid getting crucial damage from the armored being.

He will not die again, he assure that as he circles around his opponent.

The large being charges its heavy horizontal 180 degree swing as Bell charged right at it again, sadly, Bell failed to notice the next move of the being and got slashed across between his ribs and his belly as he moved back from the force of the weapon.

Defeated as he clutch onto his large bleeding cut "No. No please... Not again." Bell already knew he was killed by someone, only he lack of knowledge on who did it, hence saying he didn't want to experience death again, the large being walked up to the poor boy and picked his body up by the side of both of his right arm, so he won't do any form of trickery while performing said action, and his body then impaled the boy's stomach with its large glaive and throw him away off the cliff of the center of the cemetery, "why?" he said to himself as he falls off the mountain in the process and met his fate once again after he reached the true surface.

 _*gasp*_

Bell wakes up in shock horror as if he dreamt about a really horrible nightmare. Looking around his surroundings, he noticed that he is back to the point before he killed the zombies that are in his way, moreover, he is laying next to the burning sword he lit earlier.

He analyzed himself once more to reevaluate what just happened. "I'm... back?" he said to himself dumbfounded as he looked at his hands, then he remembered that he still has his real home to go back to, so he stood up and kill the zombies he killed before his second death.

Bell entered the arena once again but this time the large being at the center noticed him, stood up and picked up its large glaive from the earth again and then proceed to battle on again.

The large being and Bell charge head on each other at the same time, the large being made its first move with a heavy attack that is a vertical strike with the blade pointing down, Bell avoided this by rolling away from it

Bell then strafed side by side to avoid the thrusting attacks of the large being along with an another horizontal sweep that he also avoided by ducking down.

Bell finally got his opportunity to strike again by strafing forward to its side and made a cut deeper than his first offense on its left arm. Such a gashing cut made it fell to its knees after stepping back from the force of the attack, maybe he won perhaps?

No.

There's something coming out of that deep cut as blood violently spontaneously spur out through both the deep cut on its left arm and the tentacles on its back. To Bell's shock, the tentacles grow wider and bigger and even more are coming out of the deep cut on its left arm and connecting it to the main source of the tentacles. The tentacles kept expanding and growing until it reachrs the point the whole body of the tentacles have come to life and a massive bone and flesh like hand, slapped the gound of the earth and swept the ancient tiles along with huge splashes of water from puddles of marshed waters. Finally getting the full view, the monstrosity appears before Bell, giving him the vengeful killing intent stare with its red glowing eyes and an intimidating new look that reminded him of the heard stories of the monster rex that lurks around the deeper floors of the dungeon, the battle has become more intense.

The abomination that was once contrlling the large being in armor swept its tail on the poor boy to push him down on the ground, fortunately Bell moved away from the range of attack in time from getting mashed down by the enormous hand. Bell had no chance to defeat this horrifying creature truely with his knife, he looked around and analyze his surroundings quickly before his opponent made an another deadly move, stopped for a brief moment as he set his eyes on a giant coffin underneath the giant dead tree.

Bell ran to it before it made any more possible attacks that would stop him or kill him. The abomination briefly chased the boy then brought its giant hand down the earth once more and clenching it down so it can glide to the angle where Bell is and kick him away from there, and so it did. Just a little further away from the coffin once more, but his terrifying rex that was once a large being in armor was closer. Still lying down in pain from the impact of such a strong kick, Bell decided to wait for it's next move, and so it happens to be bringing its jaws to Bell and consume him alive. That's what he thought of at least.

Bell sees this yet an another opportunity because he noticed his critical opponent is also close to the coffin. About to bring its head down to finish him, he rolled away as soon as the momentum of its head was halfway to the ground. As a result, getting its head stuck in there for a while, leaving everything open for him to strike in. He step climbed up to the giant coffin using the tombstones to support his boost, once he is on the giant coffin, he leapt onto it and brought his knife down to its disgusting flesh to bring its head back up the ground to react in pain. He then pulled the knife back up and quickly and carefully made his way to the head, now that it is out of the ground, and started jabbing between its frontal and partial lobe with his now black bloody knife.

After jabbing a couple of times, he finishes the abomination with inserting the left glowing red eye with his knife, the abomination roared in pain as its strength gets weaker, because of that, Bell jumped down while holding the knife still in its eye, forcing to bring its head back down once more. As soon as he takes the knife out of the left eye, the abomination pushed Bell back with its head to spontaneously smack its head down side by side in agonizing pain made by a boy.

After smacking its head side by side and its actual figure that supports the abomination to move, which is the large being itself, collapsed its knees in defeat and the other side of its head laying against the ground. The boy then impaled the abomination's other eye with his knife and then twisted it to screw over the nerves connecting to its eyes, resulting in a fountain of dirty black blood. After taking the knife out again, the abomination shrank back to its host and the large being dropped both its large glaive and itself. And fade...

 ** _HEIR OF FIRE DESTROYED_**

Bell fell down to the ground too, but this is only because he's too tired, but what matters most is that he finally did it.

Later.

After noticing the bonfire before him and lighting it up, he brought the sword that was stuck in the belly of the beast and opened the large doors of the other side of the arena.

On his right is a set of stairs leading to a huge palace of sorts that seemed so gray and ruined but also alive. He looks side by side around him mostly for the view as he climbs up the stairs.

He took a step inside the place...

 **Firelink Shrine**


	3. chapter 3

The place is huge indeed.

From the looks of it, the inside of this large palace seems to be a worshipping place because to Bell's perspective, when he saw the five thrones, two for each side and one at the middle. The center of the palace lies a small pit of ash that looked quiet familiar to the boy. He looked around the place more and also found out that candles are mostly seen on stairs, corners, archs, ect. and most of the candles are lit, however some are dimming and some already gave in. Either way, there are lots of candles around here that he could already smell the exposed wax upon entering the huge palace but also enough to light up the entire place spite of having the lack of torches and lanterns here. The last thing he noticed is that there's really no one around here to clean the place because everywhere he sees on the ground, it's gonna be full of ashes mixed with gravel.

Bell continued to stand there and look around the place until something caught his attention, he heard of footsteps going down the stairs coming from his left and-

"Welcome to the bonfire, unkindled one." said the unknown person who just came down the stairs to greet the boy. It's already a fact to him that in this world he is in right now is that cruel and sorrowful that he should be raising his knife to her by now just in case she might ambush him and kill him. Although he still keeps his general instincts as an adventurer in orario that anything that doesn't come out of nowhere and kill is a sane normal entity. "dost not worry, young one, I tend no harm." said the lady that happened to be one with a very gentle tone with a slight smile to show him she really isn't a threat.

When she approach Bell to welcome him, she seems to be wearing a Dark blue dress that looked quiet a bit tight on her torso and her skirt looked too large that could only barely see your feet whenever you're walking with them, and covering her is a large black cape like cloak that comes with a large hood that is enough to mask your identity and her arms and hands almost entirely wrapped in brown cloth only leaving her hands fingerless as if they're gloves. Bell can't tell whether her hair is white or ashen blonde but it's best to leave it alone for a while since they just met, and what made the boy feel questioned for is her crown over her eyes, blinding her and yet she went down the stairs with ease and knew where Bell currently is.

"please cease your arms now." the blindfolded lady calmly told Bell and did what was told and put the knife back into his sheath at his side. After doing said request, the blindfolded lady gently bowed down to the boy. "Allow me to introduce thine self. I am a Firekeeper, and I tend to the flame and tend to thee." after introducing herself, she raised her head back up to properly ask the boy "Now tell fullest of thyself, what brings you into this land?" As a simple question as is, this is still hard to answer for the boy because he was brought here because he was killed and brutally murdered at the fifth floor of the dungeon.

"I... i-i was... w-was" He can't really say it, it's too painful for him to answer it and it's as painful as his critical fight he went through not long ago, tears are at the verge of flowing down his cheeks. "your very life hath taken its fate awfully soon? Or am I wrong?" the firekeeper rephrased his answer in advance, she thought to herself that even death is a nuisance in this land, he is still too tad young to be experiencing this even if she had no idea what really happened to him. "S-so, where am I? What is this place?" It's pretty normal for newcomers to ask those questions but the firekeeper expected someone who already knew and through. "The land of Lothric, and this very place you're in, the Firelink Shrine, you'll prethee it a haven if you wish to call it" It's true that it's a safehaven, only if you abide the inhabitants personal field. "A haven?" the boy got confused to the odd sayings of the firekeeper, "you'll be safe here, just like the others who wish to be" she answered simply. "Wait, others? Do you mean that-"

"Ahhhh another one, roused from the sleep of death, even one who have never heard of such place" Another voice was heard coming from his right that is yet an another set of stairs and the person coming down is a man crossing his arms and looking at Bell and firekeeper in a sarcastic tone with a very despising disappointment in it. "And yes, you're not alone, although we unkindled are worthless. Can't even die right, hmph. Gives me conniptions" the man scoffed as he circled around the two still crossing his arms and two of them continued to listen to the man's blabber. But aside from listening, the boy took an observing look at the man's apparel, he wears a dirty brown long sleeved tunic and trousers with only a peculiar designed iron shoulder pad, a single gauntlet with his other hand being strapped in leather, and iron knee pads that serve the only pieces of armor. He also seem to wear a long red cape that is attached to its shoulder pad and a circular shaped piece on his right front shoulder with disgusting dregs and prints of black, ragged and teared at the ends of it and in front of the cape is what it looks like a standard greatsword sheathed inside, and finally his head was covered by a chainmail hood-like helm but his middle-aged face.

"Sir Hawkwood, me does not think 'tis the correct attitude to introduce a newcomer." the firekeeper tried to talk back. "And what? They'd have us seek the Lords of Cinder and return them to their moulding thrones?" Hawkwood stopped circling and faced himself in front of the firekeeper to reply back in a formal manner, "Please try best to not endue the Lords of Cinder to thine complaint, after all, there is really no reason why must thou fleer a newcomer." the Lords of Cinder and the current arguement between firekeeper and hawkwood caught the boy's interest, he'll might ask more from the firekeeper after this, "Yes, I do understand this child here must've not heard of this place before, not that I knew that he must've got here for a reason, to seek a second chance perhaps? After all, this land is most likely for the dead and those who have risen up to fulfill their duties and reawaken once more as hollow or went back to rest, and most guarantee and unfortunate that he have met his unwanted sleep too soon." Hawkwood let out a slight devilish giggle as he made a short look at the boy and made him a little upset but quickly held it in and calmed down mentally. "But, we're talking true legends with the mettle to link the fire, not children toying with worthless cinders, and to add, we're not even fit to lick their boots. Don't you think?" Hawkwood then turned back away from the contact of the firekeeper and Bell.

"Sir Hawkwood, me dost understood your disliking but please bare with this for another-"

"Another what? A Brave fool? Muscles for brains? Self-appreciated rouge?" Hawkwood quickly turned back to face the firekeeper to reply back with an annoyed tone. "Have you not seen the many you have sent alone and not even one were to return back here-...".Hawkwood slightly widened his eyes and stepped back a few as a realization lit up, "oh... I must've forgotten, my apologies" he then left his place and went past between them to go outside as he rudely laughed and grim at his action made seconds ago, when the sounds of his laughter started to become more distant and quite, the firekeeper laced her crown with her fingers in upsetting defeat.

"um, what- no, who are the 'Lords of Cinder'?" Bell asked the firekeeper, even if the firekeeper's purpose is to tend the flame, she'll at least try to give him the most basic brief history of each lord "please follow." The firekeeper silenty answered his question by letting him follow her to each of the five thrones.

The first throne the firekeeper lead to Bell was covered by a large red rug-like cloth that would somehow fit a comfort for someone that huge, and that huge someone would be the 'Saint Aldrich of the Deep', engraved and written at the back of the throne, she told Bell that Aldrich used to be a proper cleric but had a habit of eating men and he wasn't chosen to be the Lord of Cinder for virtue, but for might.

What made Bell shiver is how the firekeeper told him that Aldrich grew tired of eating men so it resorted to eating gods.

The second throne they come acrossed was halfly made of molten hard and normal rock, slightly glowing at that, and that throne belonged to the 'Holy king of Lothric, the last hope of his line', as the engravings stated written at the back of the throne like Aldrich's. She told him that Lothric was supposed to be the next Lord of Cinder, the next chosen one to prolong the age of fire, but alas refused to be one, and up until now she still doesn't know the sole reason why.

The third throne they went to is not like any of the other thrones, this one rather looked to be as normal because the rest of the thrones were most likely made for giants and this one was likely to be made for a fierce warrior, the engraving at the back of the throne says 'Watchers of the Abyss' and Bell thought that it wasn't much of a name, but a name of their legion. She told him how these warriors despise the abyss and any kingdom that were exposed to it would be buried down to mass genocide, that's all she knew and do not know of their fall.

The fourth throne was the largest of them all and pretty easy to tell why just by reading the engravings behind the throne that's: 'Yhorm the giant of the Profaned Capital'. She told him that he used to be a reclusive lord and favored vanguard, until the profaned flame came into play and have everyone of his people fall into it's flames.

Now there were five Lords of Cinders and only went and talked about four, because that one Lord of Cinder seemed to be the odd one out of the other four, and that Lord of Cinder is currently sitting on his throne to fullfil it's true duty, and written at the back: 'Ludleth the Exiled'

The firekeeper called out for the Lord's attention from the back of the throne, "Lord Ludleth, we have a visitor." she said, "ah yes, I'm aware of his presence as well, however me does not vision himself well, I wish him to be close to me for the shortest." To be honest, Bell didn't see that there was actually someone in that throne right after coming in the place, then becomes clear right after he actually sees him. Going over to the front of the throne, he sees a very small person sitting on it and believe it or not, that person is Ludleth the exiled as written on the back of his throne, other than his very small physique, he looked very old, famished, and ill that his cheeks were almost non-existent, his eyes were very swollen and hollow and the bone of his arms are giving off a little exposure, not in a disgusting literal manner thankfully.

As unhealthy as he is as a Lord, he did kindled the flame long ago and made into a Lord of Cinder and the only Lord who refurned to their throne to prolong this age of fire once more.

"Thou'rt unkindled, and a seeker of Lords. I am Ludleth of Courland" He introduced himself to the boy, "Look not in bewilderment as I say" he must be referrinf to his size... Bell looked away in embarrassment for a bit when he looked at him back and went back to looking at him again when he no longer minded, "I linked the fire long ago, becoming a Lord of Cinder, if substantation be thy want, set thine eyes upon my charred corse." this is all a bit too much for him to understand, "This sad cadav'r. No need to be coy, have a closer look." he started to wonder now why are they calling him an 'unkindled one'? Is it his new title now that he has been ressurected in an another world or perhaps it's a foreign tradition where each individual has their very own title to live on for histories. He wanted to ask him those questions but as young as his mindset is, he still has to give utmost respect since he's one of the Lords of cinder afterall. "Milord-" Ludleth interrupted, "please, my proper name suffices thy interest such" Bell corrected himself and continued his saying, "L-Ludleth, what do the Lords of cinder actually do?"

"Knowest thou of our purpose? Five thrones will take five lords, as kindling for the linking of the fire. The fast fading flame must be linked to preserve this world. An enactment of the first linking of the fire. So it is, I became a Lord of Cinder. I may be but small, but I will die a colossus." to put it simply, these five Lords of cinder need to be brought here to extend the life of this world, and without fire, this world will fall. With that said, all he needed now is the meaning behind his new title given by the firekeeper and Ludleth, perhaps going to ask either of them but..

That was until he noticed the crackles of fire coming out from him.

He only barely noticed it however, but what made him caught his attention was his smell and in spite the candles lying all over the place, those weren't the candles and can guarantee is coming from himself.

He inspected his arms and noticed-

"FIRE!" the boy yelled and panic, caught both the firekeeper and Ludleth off guard.

"FIREFIREFIREFIREFIREFI- AH-!" as much as he panicked around like a crazy hen going up against their bad farmer. He didn't realize he was still on the base of the throne of Ludleth, fortunately the fall didn't affect him much thanks to the numbers of piles of ashes lying around about the center and the height doesn't seem that dangerous anyway. The poor boy tried to roll around to cease the burning.

But it really isn't.

The firekeeper, who was still behind the throne all along, went down to calm down Bell. "Worry not young one, the flame flowing in thou dost not in harm. Thou must have embraced an ember." she told him, "Ember??" the boy finally ceased his panic and looked straight up to the "eyes" of the firekeeper or to state it, looked straight at her silver crown that hinders her entire vision. "An ember is what of the undead have favored for the longest periods of time. It reawakens the flame in you, to regain the strength you once had." the firekeeper thought her words would be useful to him before he gets out of the shrine, out of this place to a different place in the same land, out to fulfill his duty now that he is here. "but, I don't have any with me.." ah, Ludleth knew about this, not that he can sense into the past and learnt how without the knowledge on the boy, but knew what made him 'burn'. "if that's the very case, hath you taken a bloodshed on the large fellow before the very shrine?"

large fellow?

Bell let out a quick gasp after knowing what was he referring to. He doesn't want to remember it at all, nononono. He even remembered his second death and coming again and almost went mad.. this is not good, not good at al-

"If that is, then thou must've restored into you. Oneself needs fire to surpass long unforgiving walks." Ludleth continued to look down to Bell while sitting on his stone withered throne and seeing him still lying down on those pile of ashes who were to gave in.

They both further explain the use of embers and its true sense of purpose, they told him how they were almost everywhere and waiting to be found, can be kindled again if a critical battle has been dealt with triumphantly and more importantly, how valuable they are to this twisted new world he's in. The last thing they told him about is the consequences of using them, he could be ambushed by someone else from their own world and take away his flame. Now that Bell knew of the all important embers, he thanked the firekeeper and Ludleth for telling him of the flame in him, afterwards, he excused both of them to continue roaming around the shrine.

Making his way to the hallway below the floor where Bell first came in and Hawkwood out, as he walk about and around the place, suprisingly, he found someone else at the end and looked like he was doing something, he wanted to see and meet the person until he is being called out by an elderly woman, who also seems to have a crown that fully hinder her vision and above it was strapped in cloth, perhaps it was falling out he thought. "Ahhh, if it isn't it the newcomer the blabber's all 'bout" the elderly woman said in a gentle tone every typical grandmother has as if she is comforting her grandchildren through the toughest times and she'll always be there to help you out. To answer her question, it is true that the talk he had above was loud enough for anyone to hear. Bell then answered "Y-yes, I'm still new in the shrine." she doesn't really mind having newcomers to the shrine really, she is there for a purpose and will not dig deep into his past and instead get straight up introducing herself, "I am the shrine handmaid, I possesseth no name but a purpose. I give away wares of mine for a price of what you harvest, however me thinks I'll let you off for free once this time, to welcome a newcomer." despite the opportunity given to him, Bell thought this shrine handmaid would be keeping the whole place in sparkles, hence the mess around here, but guess it would be nice to make use of her offer and gather some items from her.

Perhaps a healing potion.

"Umm, do you have any healing potions?" Bell asked, hoping those kind of things exist in this world. "I'm afraid I don't have what you wanted.." Bell frowned, "However, I know just what you need" the shrine handmaid went over to her side to look for something over a pile of small urns and ashes, finally found what she was looking for and what it appeared to be a green bottle similar to what he found on the dead knight back at the graveyard, but except the liquid inside wasn't radiating blue but firey orange and resembles the warmest fires than those in fireplaces in the most coziest places fused with your mother's homemade fresh delicious orange juice. Bell had no idea what was being given to him, "go on, take it, This is what one consume if they start to lack strength." He still didn't get an idea what it is, "erm, what is it?" He asked her, hoping the way he said didn't offend her in some way in this world, instead she let out a short giggle as a reaction to his question, "This is an estus flask, inside it is the warmth flame of the bonfire, gulping it in will mend your worst wounds." the shrine handmaid explained, so it IS a health potion in a way, but he was only given one flask and she claimed that was the only flask she could give him so he had to think of a way to balance his needs of it, whether it be before, after, or during a battle. After Bell thanked the shrine handmaiden, he then proceed to the elderly man at the end.

Once Bell had a proper close up with someone at the end of the hallway after the shrine handmaid, he appears to be an elderly as well but at the same time has a build of a ripped bulky dwarven berserker he saw often at the guild, mostly seen at the streets of Orario, he even has a big white bushy hair that also seemed long after seeing at the back of his hair ponytailed that resembles them dwarven warriors and their ponytailed bushy hair, he even seem to be working as a blacksmith in this shrine and he can tell with the weapons and small shields laying beside and back of his wooden shelf stand.

Bell didn't want to disrupt the old man's work, hammering a shortsword laying top of the anvil in the middle of its development, but he needed to know the place more or the land he is in, he tries tries to get the attention of the old man, "uuhhh, hello?" the old man instantly stopped as he is already aware of the boy's presence and brought his head to the boy and smiled at him. "well, a newcomer I see." the old blacksmith happily reacted, "I am Andre the blacksmith and I serve for this shrine." He understood that it's a blacksmith but he still asked him what is he doing, "mm, what are you doing?" Bell asked said question, "Well I serve here to be the blacksmith 'round here, be smithin weapons, armor, anythin' in particular, but it don't mean that I actually make 'em." with that said, Bell definitely needed some better equipment.

But what does he need though, better armor? better knife? He can't ask too much from him knowing how hard it must be for him to work all of that but the other side of him thinks that he needs to get what he needs to survive the worse if the large being he fought was. "um do you have something that can help me?" What a question...

Andre then stopped hammering the shortsword and brought his fingers to his bearded chin and his brows focused to gesture his thinking, but he looked upset to the boy, 'oh no, he won't help me wouldn't he?' he thought. "Well- I remember makin a piece, a whole set, long ago... maybe you'll find use of it." that he replied to Bell. "ah- oh! what is it? and where is it?" asked Bell looking around for his work, "Just at me back boy, the thing been sittin there for ages, dunno why but me thinks it'll help ya through." Andre pointed the set with his left hand thumb and Bell peeked where the direction of the pointed thumb is.

"ye don't have to pay anythin' by the by, the thing's all yers."

An old worn out mannequin wearing what appears to be an armor fitted for travels and combat. Bell went to the armored mannequin and started inspecting it, steel pieces from head to toe protection against sharp attacks, leather armor below the pieces for mobility, a ripped piece of clothing that is attached at the back of the left rivetted shoulder blade piece was there a cape of sorts so he thought, black leggings that's leather boots have steel guards, a belt that can hold some useful utilities, a sheath that also comes with a standard straight sword, and a dark gray shield with a crest that slightly resembles a crossbow. Bell is awed and fascinated by this and thought this can really help him throughout.

Later...

Bell thanked Andre for the gifted set and waved him a 'thank you' goodbye with his right metal clad fingered gauntlet as constant sounds of metal clunking

were being made for every step he makes. When Andre looked at Bell waving at him, he figured he didn't include the helmet and only equipped the whole body armor, the sword in it's sheath, and the shield at his back. Bell thought the eyeholes of the helmet would hinder most of his vision due to being too horizontally small and as for the shield Andre didn't figure but thought that he would use it as somehow an easy way to protect his back from unexpected attacks, so the only thing left the mannequin wearing is the supposed equipped helmet... It does feel quite a bit heavy for him, but not too heavy, maybe a box of at least twenty lemons that kind of heavy.

Out of the hallway, Bell went to the center of the shrine where the pit of bone ashes lies and stood in front of it. He took out the coiled sword he always have with him and still have no clue what to do with it, until the firekeeper showed up on his left walking down the curved stairs, "there is no stopping, ashen one" Bell replied "No stopping what?". "Stopping you from thine kindle of the bonfire. That sword is it's very source." basically, she is telling him to insert the sword into the pile of bone ashes and so he did. (A/N: this seemed rushed, ik... I feel disgrace)

Flames ignited in an instant, ashes now radiating warm orange and the coiled blade of the sword glowed too due to its now active fires.

The bonfire continued to glow and started flowing yellow fog, surrounding the boy and his body slowly fading as if he is being summoned by an abnormal shaman that require of needy assistance. "e-Eh!? w-what's happening to me!?" panicked Bell, "Thou will be taken to the Beginning, fairwell ashen one...-"

the yellow fog entirely covered the boy and soon faded in an instant... so does he.

"may the flames guide thee..."

"Where is he going, exactly?" asked Hawkwood who had just came back from going outside and coming , the only reply he could get was a smile from her. "You'll see, Sir Hawkwood. He is nay different from the rest."

As two inhabitants of the shrine left to do their own business to wait for his return, a shadow that mimics a silhouette peered down the center from the upper floors of the shrine lookouts and muttered..

"hmm, he'll make a fine finger indeed"

the figure laughed as if they have done the worst and enjoyed it.


	4. chapter 4

Coughed and wheezed goes the boy lying on a cinder-filled grated circle and dust raining down from him as he stood up. After his coughing and wheezing stopped, he brushed off the remaining dust on him and looked around the place he is in right now.

The place he is in seemed unknown to him as he doesn't know the purpose of this place except for going there for the first time which is the bonfire suddenly taking him there. After looking around and ignoring to observe the place, he went straight to the door.

Bright light breached in through the opening cracks as he pushed the heavy wooden doors forward with both of his hands...

High Wall of Lothric

He stepped out of the place and took an eyesight of the view.

the large sun gazing over, what it seemed to be large cities and castles built almost as if they were on top of and properly close to each other. The splendors of this land even reminded him the last time he wished to visit bigger places before Orario.

Bell caught up to his senses again and went down the stairs to his right. The end of it as he goes down, meets an another bonfire and figured he should light it up by hovering his hand over the handle just like last time and the ashes of the bonfire resonates Bell and cooperate with its flames, and from there the bonfire has been lit.

"I want to go home, I want to live with my goddess again. I won't end up miserable like them." he said in desperate determination, following his own purpose while referring to those 'miserable ones' to the hollows in rags pleading to body sprouted trees.

"Let's do this"

he brought his sword out of his sheath as he went down the stairs after the bonfire next to it.

There he ignored the praying hollows as if he doesn't really wish to stir up more trouble, on his right, he finds a hollow that took an attire of a deserted soldier that used to long serve whoever rules this enormous kingdom. The hollows noticed the boy and proceeds to chase head on but he didn't ran away. He quickly strafed to the right and swung his longsword horizontally, the hollow dropped dead after it's last cry and laid down on its own final splat of blood.

Bell made along his way untiuntil he finds an another gio

As soon as Bell went up to the staircase to get over the gang of hollow soldiers at the end to find a dragon suddenly landed on top of one of the wall tower roofs, that happens to be where Bell currently is, he was being burned alive along with other hollows that stayed in the area, the breath of that dragon brought too much heat that Bell's skin began to tore off into charcoal crisps and after the dragon ceased it's firey breathe, the now burnt beef jerky Bell fell down to ground as he dissolve, knowing that he had died again.

Bell managed to get over the danger of that dragon and thought he was safe, well only for a little while, until he saw someone coming out of the next tower after the tower where the dragon watches the area at the front. An intimidating knight with a ragged crest and it's refined sword and shield. Bell stood there preparing for whatever the knight will do, it stopped to catch the presence of Bell on the other side, after a few seconds of a tense staring contest, the knight began to charge at the boy, Bell raised his shield up from the incoming damage, unfortunately, it's charged thrust attack made Bell's guard break, exposing him open to attack. The knight did two fatal slashes across his torso, despite the armor Bell's wearing it stood no chance against such power, the knight then ended him with a slash across the apple of his neck, a small fountain of blood came pouring down as Bell kneel down in dying defeat and dropped down on the ground after, the fountain of blood have stopped and flooded around his head. His lifeless vessel began to dissolve once more.

After managing to evade the knight and luckily noticed the ambush that have happened a moment ago, Bell made a decision to head to the right where the stairs that leads to the top of the tower that he's currently in, after heading up, he finds an another bonfire, ignited it in flames and rest on it. Wondering now what will he do next.

"Ah, you're no jailer are you?" said the man with an odd blank tailed mask sitting on a ragged blanket, that is the only source of rest, in a small jail cell.

"um, no?" Bell responded while lying his back on the locked cell door and hugging his knees for self comfort after everything he had been through to get this far and it wasn't very pretty at all.

"of course you're not, no other hollow in this bloody place could come here to say hi or at least do something, i dont know, human." The prisoner said as compact echoes spread around the room. "hey, I know we're not much in the same place but may I ask you a favor?"

"um"

"oh okay, let me start off with a little meet 'n greet first."

The prisoner rolled his eyes

"I'm Greirat the thief, of the Undead settlement, and you are-?"

"Bell Cranel"

"Well, aren't you a bit too tad young to be a so-called champion of ash."

He didn't really made the choice to visit whatever this world is, if it only wasn't for that-

"Anyway, I have a big favor to ask you."

"huh?" Bell looked back as he was caught by Greirats attention

he crawled out of his place to get closer to the boy. He reached out for him to get his attention and then asking him to lend him his hand through the bars, only for the boy to be given a ring with a blue stone on it. "a ring?" he questioned. "At the foot of the highwall, there's a settlement, well not a home of any lord or anything, just an old rundown settlement of undead." as the prisoner tells him the details, Bell keeps the ring in his most durable pouch on the right side of his back.

"An old woman lives there, her name is Loretta."

"So you want me to give this to her like, charity?"

"N-now I'm not asking for charity but i-in fact- if you do this for me, I'll be sure to repay you in kind. I-I may be a petty thief, but i've got more wits than most loyalty"

"what do you say then, hm?"

Bell took a glance on the pouch, where he put the ring in, and thought about it for a moment.

"What do I get in return?" he asked

"w-well, in return, I'll be but a service to you and will get you the best I can provide."

"what service?"

"um, i'll sell and buy wares that would satisfy your needs on your journeys."

knowing that he's a thief and thieves aren't that much loved in Orario, not as a class though but the thieves who act like those of normal citizen and will snatch anyone's belongings if possible. In this case, this thief seemed like someone Bell could finally trust and even maybe curious to what does he have in store for him.

"Alright, I'll do it." Bell sighed

"wonderful! Now with that being said, go do your part, while I do mine."

they both nodded, after that, he asked him if he has any homeward bone with him so he could warp himself to the shrine and after the bone was given, Greirat was no longer in the cell.

After many perilous deaths, did he managed to push through and currently badly injured after facing off two lothric knights wandering about in front of a church, there he finds a lonely old lady at the end.

"oh my" the old lady softly exclaimed, "you must've taken a dance with those fellows outside, is it not?"

She then brought out her own cleric chime and started praying to the divines above, causing to create a surrounding magic circle around the injured boy and as soon as the circle fades, his wounds did too.

"You must be one of unkindled ash, is it not. I am Emma, high priestess of Lothric."

Bell stood up from his bloody mess.

"first and foremost, you will not find the lords of cinder here." Emma said

"huh?"

"they have all left to their churning homes at the base of this castle."

It seemed obvious that the next thing he could do is to get out of this place to find those lords of cinder. But how?

"here, take this to the edge of this castle, for that matter will take you there without a doubt."

She said as she reached for a banner next to her seat and after grabbing it, she held it with both of her hands and reached out the item to him. Bell walked up to obtain the offering from her hands, also grabbing with both of his hands. The item he had obtained was a banner with a circle on it.

"Beware now, ashen one, the dog keeps a close eye on things."

Bell worriedly raised his left eyebrow, "A dog?"

"...The vile watchdog of the boreal valley."

He then made his way to the other side after evading the patrolling knights and ignoring the mindless hollows patrolling by the staircase below. He makes his way to a large gate entangled with branches. As soon as he tries to open it, an odd sound was heard behind him. Bell turned back to see what it is and there seems to be something blocking the whole entry back to the staircase, it was large mist that continuously rain particles of ashen snow and abyssal dust.

Then heavy footsteps are heard coming from the mist and it gets heavier and louder as whatever is in there is coming closer. Finally, the entity made a full reveal, a beast in plump clad armor that resembles a rabid savaged beast, its mace infused cold frozen and its blue eyes glowed brightly after making proxemic contact with the boy.

The beast mashed down the top head of its hammer to the ground and let out a beastly roar in a suit of clad armor, and its warcry had visible cold breath.

Bell brought out his longsword and raised up his shield.

The beast charged straight on while its hammer was raised to bring it down upon its victim, fortunately, Bell managed to get away from that by rolling to the side, having the beast to forcibly stop before it crashes to the entangled gate, the boy sees the opportunity to deal damage to him, so he charged to the beast at its side but it hopped back to face its victim again and it hopped back a feet away to the point where his attack misses.

the beast brought its hammer down and slide its head across the ground and the earth trembles after forcibly bring the hammer back up, Bell strafed to the right where he cannot tremble along with the force. He quickly went forward to briefly slash the beast but right after two or three hits, the beast knocks over bell by swinging the hammer where Bell is dealing damage to and the boy flew over by great force. It hit too hard that he struggled to stand again and while aggressive the beast is, the head of the hammer slam down to the boy and his fleshy remains splattered everywhere, there were even some bits of his meat on its hammer as well, after a gruesome defeat, whatever's left of him started to disintegrate to ashes and reawakened back to the last bonfire he lit.

Bell went back to the place where they fought once more. This time, he rolled in under the belly of the beast instead since it only attacks at the front and suprisingly do more damage. Hoping the beast would weaken and eventually fall to its knees, but instead, let out a furious roar and because he's under his belly, he got ran over by suprise and quickly fell down, fortunately, he's quick enough to react to the beasts' next move as it kept on charging to like an enraged bull after seeing the irritation of the color red. The boy can act fast, but that doesn't mean he houses the stamina to continue. The boy tired out trying to catch his breath even in a middle of a battle, due to this, the beast braced its hammer down to what it seemed to inhale the air and converting it to frozen mist. Bell sees this as the biggest opportunity to strike, but unfortunately can't do so due to his tired state so his best bet was to tank the charging beast as much as he could with his remaining stamina left.

Unfortunately, the beast was done inhaling and proceed to grab the boy with its free hand and smash him down on the ground, while still holding him with its plump outrider boreal gauntlet, the beast used the converted oxygen to exhale all the frozen mist to the boy closely, making him freeze entirely until he's turned entirely ice. The last thing Bell saw through his now frozen eyes was a hammer being smashed down on him. All the shattered frozen bits now scattered the area where the hammer was brought down.

Back at the last bonfire he was, he seemed to be resting beside it for quiet a while now due to what happened earlier. He's been staring at the bonfires satisfying flaming idle. He wondered to himself, "Will I ever get out?", while the bright sun shining upon Lothric.

About to change his resting position, his hand touched down the ground where unknown white scribbles that came out of nowhere, have brightened and faded a second after, yet he still doesn't notice.

"hm?"

Bell heard a very familiar sound but also very different at the same time, it's as if he heard of that noise before but it's not as ominous and dark as he remembered...

and even louder...

as if...

Bell looked to his left where the source of the sound is. A grayish black mist encircles around with glowing white aura, and in that circle is a bright figure, and it appears to have the same knight equipment as Bells but with a helm on, rising up from where the scribbles once was. After the bright looking knight has finished forming itself to Bells world, he looked down to see him resting beside the bonfire and said to him:

"Do you require any assistance?"

Bell looked up to the knight, with a suprised look on his face.


	5. chapter 5

Bell continued to stare at the knight who appeared before the white writings.

"Seems you look like in trouble, I can tell how desperate your eyes looked, I know one when I see one, not even lying would help, but nonetheless still lend an extra blade when they needed one."

The knight already seemed to understand Bell's situation. In Lothric, the white signs are light glowing scribbles on the ground where the host of their world can call help from other undead from their world. It's apparent that this knight must've assisted many undead in his times, mostly the desperate ones who're in the same place as Bell's; not getting through a critical battle to make progress of what they're blindly tasked to, and due to his assistance, he becomes more and more recognized by plenty, even the undead who he haven't assisted yet. But of course, Bell's fresh out of the water and just came to Lothric so he doesn't really know his claim of popularity in this land.

The knight sheathed his longsword to reach his now free hand to help the boy up. Bell casually accepted his hand and stood up.

"W-Who are you?" The boy asked

"New to the place I see, well then welcome to the Land of Lothric, my name is Reginald, or formally, Sir Reginald of the sun" Reginald went in front of the boy and patted his padded left arm. "Listen here, there's a lot going on around in these parts of Lothric, many have come and trialed to face the obstacles the lords left for us, and one of theirs is this place we're in right now." Bell continued to look at the white glowing knight in front of him. "Tell me and don't be down with yourself when I ask you this, how many times have you died and perished along the way?" Bell never really thought about it since his only conscious about was finding a way to go back to where he really belong, even if he knew he was beheaded back at the fifth floor. Sir Reginald then let out a small muffled giggle after a short while of silence, "No matter, it's normal to be ashamed of the times you have died. It's also normal for plenty of undead who came from vast periods of time, past and the present, mostly because they have a task to fulfill that is universal to every undead who are chosen to be arisen with sanity and not fallen into hollow. The undead who possess the burning heart of a bravest warrior and a mind that voices your will."

Bell didn't really get what he meant but if that's what he wants to say to cheer him up, all he could do was raising his eyebrows to show how convinced he is. "umm, those people I encountered, or if they're even one at all, were they humans before?" Bell asked him curiously, to Bell it's a silly question because his knowledge to the undead in his world is straightforward saying the undead can only spawn themselves, but to Reginald it's going to take a quite lengthy answer to topple it over, in Lothric, these undead were indeed humans before and were all under the curse the first flame had done. "I can't tell" Reginald then let go of the boy to walk between the two stairs to stare at the large buildings with the shining sun glaring from behind. "Ever since the age of fire started, everyone who stepped out of their former resting places have become a contribution of that curse." he stared at the shining sun more. Bell could only think and wonder about his presence in this world, or rather Bell's world as Reginald referred at least.

"Anyhow, I believe that your business is an attempt to battle your way through the viledog, I suppose." Reginald guessed the situation, he wasn't genuinely guessing what problem Bell has but guessing said reason to assist the desperate host of embers wasn't very much accurate but more likely an accident, but he supposed that it's true that he needed help. "I- I guess-"

"Well then what are we waiting for then? Follow me, we won't be heading it on just yet." Reginald ordered, and the two knights took the left staircase where the young newbie started his perilous adventure.

After clearing out the hollows on both ground and upper floor where a huge dead dragon lies whilst slowly disintegrate into ashes, Bell distracted himself to look at it while climbing up an another set of stairs after a set of now broken chairs and by looking at it carefully, he noticed that it was the same dragon he was suddenly killed by, now that he thought about it the dragon that killed him can actually be seen over the ledge which fortunately isn't enough for the dragon to reach it's fiery breath to end the two knights, he distracted himself even more by looking at both of them.

"KID! WATCH OUT!" Reginald yelled

Bell went back to his senses to see an ambushing hollow soldier, too late to notice and react, the longsword pierced through his torso making him stumble in pain and tripped then falling down the stairs. He stopped falling down back to where he made his first step onto the second set, clutching into his wound, the hollow was about to make another attack on the downed rabbit until Reginald charged in and rammed his longsword into the gut of the hollow soldier that injured Bell, he finished it off by pulling out his sword from it and did an another charge, then the hollow soldier instantly fell dead on the ground with its soul splitting apart to share the two with the same amount.

"You alright, kid? That looked awful."

"No it's fine, really- hrgk!"

Reginald took the estus flask from the right backside of Bell's equipment belt

"Here, you need to drink up."

"hgk!"

Reginald did what he had to, pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured down the liquid of flaming warmth into the rabbit's mouth. Upon gulping it down, the wound started to aflame, regenerating itself into it's healthy state under its effect. Reginald pushed back down the cork into the mouth of the bottle and attaching it back to where it was. The boy's eyes widened as the wound he was clutching onto doesn't hurt anymore.

"Th- the wound! It-"

"Works like a beauty doesn't it? It looked like as if it hasn't been used yet, or did you?"

Bell then came to a realization internally palmed his face as he has completely forgotten that he was given a sort of healing potion that would aid him in his journey, especially reminding him that he could've used it during his fight with Vordt. Reginald went ahead first up the stairs with his sword unsheathed to finish off the "dead" hollow sitting by the next set of stairs to the right, after jamming his sword into its chest and dragged it to the left, letting the fall damage do its work, he picked up an item from a corpse and decided to give it to Bell for two good reasons; one would be a good idea to give it to him as a starter tool, and the other would be the item being, while not the most useless, the most least used item anyone could, not even he himself couldn't find any beneficiaries of the tool.

"here, use this to scout ahead of you in one place."

Reginald threw the binoculars to Bell and caught it with both of his hands. Bell then used it to scope out the next area below them and seeing before the dragon are even more hollows, but then below the tower where the dragon idles, there's an entry that is connected to the other side of the tower where he first encountered a knight-like enemy.

"aaand that's where we're going next"

"huh? **HAAAH**!?" Shakened the white rabbit

"We can sprint past the other hollows down there and make our way inside there before it could turn us into crisps."

Bell is still unsure about the idea Reginald came up with, but he seems like the person he knew the place more than he does so he'll have to trust him on this.

Arriving at the staircase that leads to the ground where Bell first scoped out and where he died burning, the two knights hug against the wall to avoid detection through the perspective of the dragon.

"Okay, once that dragon roars, that's the time we start running, got me?"

the boy nodded

they waited for a while longer and-

 ** _RRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR_**

"go go go go go go!" Reginald quickly signaled Bell and both of them began to sprint to the entrance of the tower. Reginald quickly opened the cell door, letting Bell get in first and Reginald being the last, he then swiftly got in and closed the cell door, leaving the hollows outside, especially the ones that are close to an ambush.

Bell on the other hand bowing down in exhaustion, with his hands on his knees trying to catch some air after the stunt they managed to pull.

"Down here" Reginald called over, having Bell climb down the ladder last.

"See that chest over there?" Reginald pointed

Bell nodded

Reginald then approached to the chest and stood in front of it, he then grabbed a white decorated ceramic like ball from his equipment belt and weakly tossed it onto the head of the chest, white mist began to spread around him and the chest and to the boy's suprise, it opened, and yawned, by itself and what came out of it are a pair of sharp jagged teeth and a horrendously long tongue sticking out of it, its idleness indicates that it's alive and not some accessory to scare off kids or even thieves.

Reginald proceeds to sticks his hand into the sleeping living chest monster and got a Battle Axe out of it.

"Here"

As Reginald offer Bell the Battle Axe that he got from the living chest, he peeked over to see long slender arms stretching out of it to yawn once more and went back to its normal state, waiting for their next victim to befallen by their schemes.

Bell then went back to looking over Reginalds generous donation to see the Battle Axe with hints of the dark slightly spreading out of the sharp edges of the weapon.

"What're those coming out of the axe?"

"ah, 'tis not only a Battle Axe, but a DEEP Battle Axe"

"Deep?" the boy tilted his head in confusion

"I'll explain later, but one thing's for sure, that this'll definitely kill it, the viledog"

The crazed frostbite beast growls yet for the boy's return.


End file.
